The Best Halloween Books for Kids: Our Spooky Season Favorites
Get into the Halloween spirit with our family's favorite spooky season reads! My boys and I read through dozens of stories, curating the best non-scary reads that are high on creativity and fun, so you can discover the best children's books to add to your fall reading list.
In our house, it’s the season for pumpkin patches, spooky crafts, unhinged outfits (that are shockingly not costumes), and Halloween books. Here are our current favorites:
The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John
An adorable story about how the things that make us different make us special.
The Halloween Tree by Susan Montanari
The story of a Christmas tree farm reject’s transformation into the “trick or tree” - one of my favorite Halloween reads.
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
An imaginative and engaging story of Rebecca who has a pumpkin prejudice, but turns her lemons into lemonade - er, her pumpkins into pies.
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Zdrago
I love this author so much. Gustavo has been a favorite for years, and we love Vlad just as much, too.
Vlad, The Fabolous Vampire by Flavia Zdrago
I love this author so much. Gustavo has been a favorite for years, and we love Vlad just as much, too.
Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell
The life cycle of a plant brought to life in a fun fictional story of a pumpkin named Jack.
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
A rhyming tale of a kind witch who practices inclusivity.
There’s a Ghost In This House by Oliver Jeffers
So much fun ghost hunting through these beautiful illustrations with shrieks and giggles.
The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason
An adorable story about how the things that make us different make us special.
I Spy Spooky Night by Jean Marzollo
We have long loved this series and enjoy cuddling up together, spending long stretches of time searching for the riddles in the photos. This book will give you hours of entertainment!
How to Draw Cute Spooky Stuff by Angela Nguyen
We picked this up at random while breezing through the library and the boys have already begged me to buy a copy for their permanent collection. It’s been fun to watch them stretch their artistic skills with illustrations that are on the more-cute-than-scary side of Halloween.
Spooky Silly Halloween Jokes by Chris Cate
This has been really fun to watch my oldest run with, often taking it outside to read jokes himself to all the other neighborhood kids.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz
It’s a classic story that carries nostalgia for the parent reading it, and I love that it’s a bit longer than a lot of modern picture books. We err on the side of mixing in old longer stories with new short pithy modern ones because I refuse to believe my kiddos are lacking in attention span ;)
Hey There!
Looking for your next family favorite? Browse our 📚 Book Guide here to find your new read from our kid-approved library! And don't forget to ✨ follow us here on Instagram for fresh, fun ideas that make reading a blast! The fun doesn't end when the book closes!